1. Field
Example embodiments of the following description relate to dividing image data with a high resolution into a plurality of partition slices when the image data is encoded, and decoding the image data in parallel based on a correlation between the plurality of partition slices.
2. Description of the Related Art
With developments in image-related technologies, schemes for encoding and decoding of Full High Definition (FHD) images and Ultra High Definition (UHD) images with higher resolution are in demand.
There is a demand for schemes of parallel encoding and decoding of moving images having high resolution, using a plurality of parallel calculation apparatuses. To increase an efficiency for encoding moving image information, information regarding blocks neighboring a current block to be encoded is generally used. Accordingly, the current block needs to be encoded and decoded after the neighboring blocks are completely encoded and decoded. In other words, it is impossible to encode and decode in parallel a plurality of blocks.
Recently, to encode a plurality of blocks in parallel, image data, namely a frame image, may be divided into independent slices.
Each of the slices may be encoded and decoded in parallel, since there is no correlation between the slices.
However, currently, an image quality may be damaged on an edge surface of each slice by encoding and decoding for each slice, since it is impossible to refer to image data between the slices.
For example, an H.264 Advanced Video Coding (AVC) codec may divide image data into regular slices: However, it is impossible to refer to data between macroblocks in each of the different slices and thus, a continuity of an image may be reduced, thereby causing damage to the image quality.